Welcome to my world
by Kutsu
Summary: The deal was simple. He could pick out any information he wanted on me, and I wouldn't be able to hide it. But that meant he got to put his eyes on things that were much better off left in oblivion.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: The day I own Naruto is the day all the other things in my brain become reality; my wishful thinking, not going to happen.**

**A great thanks to my wonderful beta, CollaneR, who not only corrected my work, but helped me find new words and expressions I would never have thought to use on my own.**

**The beginning of this fiction is inspired by the Sweedish novel Millenium. If you haven't read it, and you like psychopath web pirates, or psychopaths in general, I strongly suggest you do so. R.I.P. Steig Larson, you could almost have fit in your own story (the guy died right after he handed in the third book to his editor). **

"Mr. Uchiha."

I looked up from my current work and gazed inquiringly at my secretary, Haruno Sakura, just in time to see her blush. "Mr. Jiraiya is here."

I nodded once, looking back at my computer screen. "Bring him in."

She turned on her heel and stepped back out of my office, only to reappear an instant later, and I looked up as my guests entered. I had already met Jiraiya and his impressive mass of white hair, which nearly deserved an introduction of its own**.** Beneath a rather perverted outlook, the man was watchful, and knew his job well. After all, the president of Gamabunta Security was hard to fool. My eyes passed over him quickly before laying on the most stunning sight I had witnessed in the past week.

What I first noticed was his hair. Golden locks blazed under the morning sun, whose rays filtered through the glass windows of my office. In contrast, his shirt was dark, large, and only too visible against the cream colored walls. As if to compound the oddity, the slogan written across his chest- 'Kill them all and let God sort them out'- convinced me Jiraiya had woken only half sane this morning. The kid looked like he was still in high school, and if he believed I couldn't speak English, he was sadly mistaken. The only positive aspect of his appearance was that his torn, dark blue jeans were securely fastened to his waist. Any sightings of his boxers would have sent him out on the spot; there were limits to indecency I wouldn't tolerate him crossing.

Piercings adorned his ears, nose and left eyebrow, even more visible due to the fact that he was presently staring- no, glaring- at his feet. Silence stretched in the room, until Jiraiya finally sighed. "You could say hello," he told the kid, extending his own hand. As I shook it, he added, "Uchiha, this is Naruto Uzumaki."

At the mention of his name, the kid looked up to glare at me. I suddenly found myself staring inside azure eyes, and it took a decent part of my self-control not to react to the unusual gaze. Defiance was clear as he nodded once in greeting, not bothering to otherwise move. I opened my mouth, but he cut me off.

"I'll excuse you," he said angrily, correctly guessing what I had been about to say. "By now I kinda have an idea what you people say to the pervert in private**:** I'm some kind of juvenile delinquent who doesn't know the difference between a mouse and a keyboard, much less how to do anything with it." He jabbed a finger towards Jiraiya. "_He_'s gonna tell you I'm the best he's got, that I'm worth my weight in gold and all that shit. So before I leave**, **here's the deal: I'll dress how the fuck I want unless you pay me to wear a suit, and my hair isn't dyed."

"I noticed," was my dry reply. "Glad your Japanese is suitable." He probably had grown up here. There wasn't any trace of an accent in his voice.

"Glad you like it," he snapped back, "because for your information, there actually _aren't_ that many people on the planet who can match my skill."

Before I could comment on that, the older man stepped in between us. "You go cool off," he ordered Naruto sternly. "And be nice to the lady."

Without another glance in my direction, the kid turned around and followed Sakura out of the office. With a tired sigh, Jiraiya sat down. "Sorry about that," he said, "but we really do get this every time."

"You give him details of conversations?" I asked.

"No, he pirates the systems**. **Employers that are foolish enough to have cameras in their offices got spied on." The man smiled thoughtfully. "He's pretty sick of this little ritual**. **I guess he thought that since you were younger, you might react differently."

I frowned. "People have already misjudged me because of my youth," I said testily. "I'm sure you know what happened to them."

"We stay informed. But Naruto assumed you might understand his situation, since you've experienced something similar."

I waved the discussion off, feeling slightly annoyed. "Was what he said true?"

"Naruto won't lie to you," the older man assured me. "He even may be painfully blunt. But with him you'll always get the truth. And he is the best I can offer. Trust me, once you get past his character, you won't be disappointed."

"Is he serious at his work?"

Jiraiya met my gaze squarely. "I know your expectations, Uchiha. I wouldn't have brought him if I didn't believe he was perfectly suited for this job."

I nodded, and beeped Sakura, in order to let the kid come back. When he did, I noted the laptop he cradled carefully in his arms. Despite this, his gaze remained cold.

"Wi-fi's cool, but easy to hack," he informed me casually. "You're letting all the smartasses use yours for free. I suppose you'll be wanting a demonstration?"

Feeling a slight smirk tug my lips, I nodded slowly.

"I need a name, and one hour. Preferably someone whose past you know well. That way it'll be easier to verify." He sat down on the floor, leaning against a window that took the entire left side of the room, and waited.

I glanced at Jiraiya, who shrugged wordlessly, then back at the kid, whose glare contained something I didn't decipher immediately. Then I realized Naruto wasn't the only one being tested.

What name should I give? How many people did I know that well? Not many. Very few, actually. And the blond's taunting gaze made his preference clear. Fine.

"Uchiha Sasuke," I stated tonelessly. Jiraiya sighed, and Naruto allowed a smirk of his own to spread on his face.

"Sure?" he asked.

I nodded, never leaving his eyes. "I know no one better than myself."

He seemed satisfied, and leaned against the glass as he opened his laptop, suddenly oblivious to his surroundings. I stared at him before Jiraiya groaned and got to his feet. "Not that I'm bored, but I do have several things I need to take care of before noon. Do you mind if I leave him here? You can call me if you're not satisfied**.** I'll pick him up."

I nodded wordlessly at the older man, and shook hands with him once more before he left, not bothering to say goodbye to his agent. Doubtless the blond wouldn't have heard.

Slightly more than half an hour later, Naruto got to his feet. I had been observing him for the past ten minutes, just in time to see his smirk slowly edge off his face, and vanish completely. He looked at me darkly. "Can I print it or do you want me to recite the thing?"

"Reciting will be faster, I presume," I replied in a casual, if not slightly cold, voice. He glared at me for what already seemed like the umpteenth time, which I matched squarely. Neither of us would be enjoying this**.** Naruto had just realized he wielded a double-edged sword; he could pick out any information he wanted on me, and I wouldn't be able to hide it. But it meant he got to put his eyes on things that were much better off left in oblivion.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he recited slowly. "Japanese male, aged 19, and born on July 23rd, 1988. Wealthy parents**, **Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto, whose personal biographies are in there**-**" –he tapped his laptop- "and I'm not going to recite. One older sibling, Uchiha Itachi, born June 9th, 1981. You entertain a good relation during your early childhood." He paused. "Everything right so far?"

I nodded. "Keep going."

"The same can't be said for him and your father. Family tensions cause Itachi leaves the house at 18, in 1999**. **Thanks to his genius**,** he is able to enter Todaï, paying with the money he saved since the beginning of middle school. After his departure your relationship with your parents deteriorate. You run away 37 times in the first year alone, 56 times in all."

I raise a discreet eyebrow; no one had ever bothered to give me the numbers, and I hadn't kept track.

"Roughly a third aren't reported to the police, and you become acquainted with several street gangs and the like. You join a small group called Hebi and get arrested several times- full list's in here- while doing your best to find your brother. He never warned you of where he was going and didn't stay in contact."

I nodded once more as he closed his mouth, looking at me.

"In 2001, you're thirteen and get involved in a gang war. The police catcheseveryone, but your father managed to pay your way out of the mess and lock you inside the house for the three following years."

This time I opened my mouth to protest, and he rolled his eyes.

"As in, you were homeschooled, and couldn't go anywhere without at least four bodyguards**. **I've got the entire thing downloaded**,** if you want. Each occasion on which you went out of the house was carefully noted, along with who accompanied you, and when you were expected back. You were forbidden to step outside once night started to fall and mostly stayed secluded to your room. I call that imprisoning."

Shaking his head, he continued. "On your sixteenth birthday, 2004, you're finally given a little more freedom**. **You go back to a regular school and your bodyguards disappear. I'm guessing you've learned to play tame, and stay away from anything that could bring you on the wrong side of the law, including your previous 'friends'. Of course, things go a lot less smoothly than anticipated."

He stopped, and this time I didn't need to confirm aloud that he was right. Proof of what had happened was all over the net, and although I made sure my face was as unreadable as always, I was unable to relax my curled fists.

"January 1st, 2005," Naruto announced somberly. "At midnight you go to a temple to wish for the new year, and are kidnapped on your way back bythe old members of Hebi. They extract five billion yen from your clan and have your parents come over to where they were holding you captive."

The kid bit his lower lip, hard enough to make it go white. We both knew what was coming.

"They were tortured and killed before your eyes. And while your captors did it**,** they repeated they were doing it on Itachi's orders."

"How do you know that?" My voice snapped like a whip. No cameras had been in that old factory. No one outside those concerned knew about what I had been told in there. And I knew my 'friends' hadn't been so stupid as to reveal what they had done to anyone.

"From your shrink's reports. It says that you developed 'unboundedhatred' for your older sibling, and you haven't heard from Itachi since his eighteenth birthday, the shrink deduced, from what he knew. But that's in 2007. Right after the events you become completely mute, and although you continue living in an almost normal way, it's impossible to communicate with you. Which causes Hebi to get away with the double murder. In the meantime you're adopted by a man named Orochimaru, who had seen your potential. On June 9th, 2005 you begin speaking again, revealing Hebi's members' identities, and swear to avenge your parents' death. For this you need to find your brother. Orochimaru offers his help, and asked for you to become his pupil in exchange. You agree, and your dedicated studies lead you to overthrow your guardian from his position of leader of Uchiha Inc. That was three months ago. Now you're trying to decide who's going to bail and who's faithful enough to stay. Hence me." Naruto cleared his throat. "To this day, you have found no sign of your brother, once he finished Todaï, and from what your shrink says, you still want him dead."

"That's my business," I told him quietly. Despite the softness of my tone, there was no way he could mistake my warning. He shrugged.

"I'm just showing you how uncomfortable it is to have someone dig into your past. I know you're asking something less exhaustive for your employees, but it's not something I advise you to do too often." Before I could reply, he added, "Do you want me to continue?"

I blinked. "You mean you have more?"

He shrugged. "I left things people usually want to know first about their victims**- **sexual activity, likes and dislikes, places frequented, acquaintances and such. Details," he added in a somewhat scornful tone.

"I'll pass," I told him tersely. "You're hired. If you have any questions about your job, **a**sk them now. Otherwise, I suggest you get to work."

Uchiha Inc employed 1583 staff members, which ranged from the diploma-earning engineers all the way down to cleaning staff, and notably composed of financial managers, computer mechanics, advisors of all kinds, secretaries by the dozens, cooks even, and several additional positions I couldn't bring myself to think about.

Naruto scanned the list rapidly, scrolling down so fast I wondered if he was only checking its length. I had lent him my right side desk, on which his laptop rested. A sudden exclamation tore me from my work, and I looked up.

"You've got Nara Shikamaru!" he said.

The name wasn't familiar, and so I sighed. "If he's on the list, then yes."

"What's he doing in the kitchens? You need him on a strategic job; he'd make your income boost up, and not just a little."

"How does he look like?"

Naruto turned the screen, and I recognized the face immediately. I snorted. "That guy has to be the laziest person in the entire-"

"Genius." What surprised me was that the blond actually sound serious. "He's the laziest genius you're ever gonna meet. But put him up with a challenge and he'll get to work. Something that makes him use his brain."

"I'll see to that." Mentally reminding myself to check how a genius could have been missed by my former instructor, I wrote Nara's name on my agenda, with 'economic assistant' next to it. I wasn't ready to risk the entire company to someone who could hardly lift his spoon to serve people at the cafeteria.

"Do you have any priorities?" Naruto asked. "People you'd rather know about quickly, or who you want to fire as soon as you can afford?"

"I see you understand how things work," I told him with a smirk.

He shrugged. "It's my job, sir."

"Don't call me sir," I snapped.

"Makes you feel old?" For the first time, hostility had completely left his face as he gave me a meek smile.

I shrugged, and pulled out the list I had written on the previous evening. "I thought of you and prepared this. If you could finish before noon, I'd appreciate it."

He glanced at his computer clock. "Three hours left," he said. "Can do."

He got to his feet shortly before eleven, and made me glance up again. "Done?"

"Almost," he said. "But I need to stretch my legs. Mind if I walk around a bit?"

I shook my head. "It's your business. But don't be surprised if people try to throw you out."

"They'd have to catch me first," he shot back. "And you already know for the suit thing."

I sighed. "How much do you want?"

"Enough to buy the damn thing."

I looked at him, amused. "You don't have one?"

He glared. "Do I look like I like wearing those things? They're hot, uncomfortable, and you look like a complete goof in them."

"Excuse me?"

Mycutting tone caused him to flush immediately. "I mean- not you specifically, but I look like- well**,** you get what I mean!"

If he hadn't been so flustered**,** he might have noticed I was smirking visibly at him. Instead, he shoved his hands into his pockets and stormed out of the office.

He returned five minutes later and wordlessly went back to work, still frowning. He soon relaxed, however, and it was only half an hour before the printer located behind me began to hum.

"I'm only giving you necessary information on paper," he told me as I grabbed the sheets. "And please tell me these were people you already intended to fire. Because at this rate we're cleaning up the entire company."

I nodded, scanning his work. Slowly I smiled when I realized he had given me exactly the information I needed. "Some people won't get the occasion to eat lunch here," I told him as I got to my feet.

"Where are you going?"

"To get rid of said employees."

"No, wait!"

I stopped a few feet away from the door. "What?"

"If you do that, everyone's gonna panic. Wait until I'm done andfire them all at once."

"These are only my main advisors, Uzumaki. Most people already suspected they would soon leave after I took over. I need you to replace people as well. Nara's only the first of many." Seeing him shake his head, I frowned. "Too much work?"

"No." His eyes snapped up angrily.

"Then stop making that face. Come on, we'll go directly to the cafeteria after."

Something inside the azure eyes lit like a beacon, and suddenly his stomach went off, causing him to flush and me to smirk. "Hey, being hungry isn't illegal!" he protested.

"Of course it isn't, idiot. I was just surprised by how you chose to express it."

About to say something, he closed his mouth again, apparently realizing what had been about to cross his lips was not suited to our surroundings. So instead, he glared at me with all his might, and walked past me, straight to our destination.

"And before you ask, I already have the building's map stuck in here," he said, tapping his head.

I sighed, and pushed the door to the first office door, plastering one of my favorite cynical smiles upon my face.

"Ganburo," I said in a sweet, poisonous voice. "Pack you things up, you're leaving."

"Mr. Uchiha." I sighed, feeling this little play would soon become a routine. Sakura admitted Naruto inside the office with a small smile, and I soon saw why. Looking quite uneasy in a brand new suit, the blond glowered at the carpet and returned to his previous day's seat. He had removed his piercings, which surprised me, and has stored his computer in an elegant suitcase.

I allowed a small smirk to appear on my lips as he sat down, noticing his tie matched his eyes perfectly.

"Sakura ordered the tie," he said as a matter of explanation. "And I thought you might not want the piercings either."

"You skills of deduction amazes me," I informed him, causing him to glare.

"Hey, I made an effort here!"

"Which I paid for."

"Some people don't even get that option," he snapped back.

I sighed. "You're also paid to work. Get to it."

"I'm going, I'm going," he grumbled, opening his laptop. Then he hesitated, glancing at me and biting his lip.

Deciding the best way to address him was by being blunt, I ordered, "Spit it out."

"Would you let me listen to music? I've got good headphones and you won't hear anything."

I shrugged. "Take them off if you want to interact with people," I warned, and he nodded, pulling headphones that could fit in a professional recording studio. I doubted anyone would dare walk in the streets with something this big.

Clamping them on his ears, the blond opened iTunes and then returned to his previous day's work. I continued going over my own work, repeatedly cursing Orochimaru for leaving me with such a mess. Thanks to Sakura, as well as several other employees, most of the missing data had been recovered, but several contracts had been misplaced, and I still had a mere vague idea of how the company's finances were going.

One hour before the clock struck noon, I walked out of the office, under Naruto's curious gaze. I went straight to the cafeteria, where I was greeted by Akamichi Choji. "Lunch isn't ready," he warned me as I entered the kitchens.

"I'm not looking for food," I told him. "I need Nara."

"Shikamaru?" Akamichi blinked. "He must be on the roof. It isn't time for him to work yet."

Sighing I thanked him and left. The building possessed several dozen floors, and even with an elevator it took time to reach the top.

Nara Shikamaru was sprawled upon the roof's floor, gazing calmly at the sky above. The mere sight of him made me want to yawn.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he stated slowly as I approached, eyes fixed on the heavens. "You'll have to tell that Uzumaki brat he's troublesome." He sighed, straightening. "What do you want me for?"

"So you do know Naruto."

"I thought the first thing you learned about the kid was he couldn't lie." The tone was stern. "If you want to speak about his truthfulness, find someone else. I don't have that much time."

I snorted. "I suppose what I was about to offer you will be too tiring then."

"Probably. But if the work is adequate I might try to make an effort."

This was going nowhere. But I told myself I could try. "I need help in finance. Orochimaru left things so that it would take me months to grasp all of our spending and income. The troublesome part would be sorting the mess out. But Naruto said you like strategy. I'll give you full range of the stock market with the company's weight if you get the finances under control."

Nara said nothing, and I half wondered if he hadn't gone to sleep. Then he said slowly, "Orochimaru wasn't that smart. Naruto will find most of what he tried to destroy, and from what I can see**,** he wasn't that great at altering your financial databanks either. Give me a week or two, and I'll see what I can do. I'll need help though. An additional pair of hands."

"Must I find you a secretary myself or do you already know who you want?" I asked testily. "If I hire you for this it's so that I don't have to do the job, Nara."

"Yamanaka Ino. I'll get her, I just need your permission to take her out of her section."

"Where is she?"

"She was Gamburo's secretary. Now she works for one of his cronies." For the first time, the man's lazy voice betrayed slight anger.

"They'll be leaving soon," I assured. "You can get Yamanaka now."

He got to his feet more swiftly then I had ever seen him, and vanished into the elevator. No doubt he knew perfectly where his new aid was. Praying Naruto hadn't deceived me, I went to the staircase, and descended three floors. No need for an elevator when those I was about to kick out were so close.

* * *

From the way people were acting, it was as if an ominous cloud was hanging above Uchiha Inc. Fear was in the air, just as the blue-eyed blond had predicted. But then again, Nara Shikamaru's promotion had reassured some. And he hadn't been the only one to move, once I saw his new job suited him. Under Naruto's advice, along with my personal analysis, more than a fifth of my employees changed their jobs for ones better adapted to their capabilities.

An enormous portion of the staff was mercilessly sacked. I was astounded to see how much money we had been losing due to embezzling. I sued several of those, whom had extorted several billion dollars- not yen, _dollars_- out of the company since its creation, without either my father or Orochimaru noticing it. With Naruto's help (namely the undeniable proof of certain illegal transactions and suspicious accounts opened in Switzerland), things were done swiftly, and Uchiha Inc. received numerous settlements, which had done much to bring our numbers back into balance, to Nara Shikamaru's satisfaction**.**

The man truly was a genius. He had asked for a week at minimum, but it hadn't taken him more than half that time to bring me a complete report on what I had asked him. He claimed he'd had both Naruto's and the blonde Ino's help, but I had seen him at work, and doubted him no more.

"The market's all yours, Nara," I had assured him. "Have fun."

The other good surprise was that Naruto had finished going through the rotted crew. He was now investigating those whose salary had risen for strange reasons- andtherefore needing to be lowered once more- or slackers. Few of those had been fired, however. It just wasn't worth the work to deal with them at the moment.

"Time to eat," I warned, getting to my feet. The blond next to me didn't move. "Naruto," I said, a little louder this time. He didn't budge, and I frowned. Usually he could tell, despite the music blaring in his ears, whenever I addressed him. Sighing**,** I reached out, intending to shake him into awareness.

As soon as my fingers touched his shoulder he jerked away, so violently that the desk in front of him flipped over. He caught his computer just in time, while the rest crashed to the floor.

"Don't touch me!" he roared.

I blinked, shocked by this sudden outburst. In front of me the blond looked out the windows, trying to spot something I couldn't see. His movements were jerky, nervous. "Did anyone see us?" he suddenly asked.

"Naruto, I just-"

"Answer me!" The voice was strained, panicked. I looked out the window.

"Only the building facing us should see my office. But our windows are mirrors to them. I don't like being spied on. And I don't see anyone."

My words seemed to relax him, slightly. "Don't do that again," he said shakily. "Don't ever- I can't**...** It's dangerous if I touch people." He stared darkly at the floor.

"Do you have some kind of disease?" I asked sarcastically.

He almost smiled. "Think of it that way."

"How do you shake hands with people if you can't touch them?"

"I don't."

"That's rude."

"People already think I'm a failure of society. It doesn't surprise anyone that I don't have manners." Again his tone was dark.

I sighed. "We still need to eat."

The incident was not mentioned again. Naruto resumed his normal attitude once I was careful to avoid contact, and at his unspoken request, I also warned Sakura.

"So that's why he was so distant," she said. "Polite, but really shy. What's the matter with him?"

I shrugged. "It's his business. Try to be careful."

I hadn't asked the blond why he was so touchy, but from his behavior I suspected he was grateful.

Sakura nodded. Then she sighed. "Looks like we're going home under the rain," she remarked. "You should take him home. He'llruin his clothes if he goes on foot."

"I thought Jiraiya-"

"Naruto obviously asked him not to," the girl scolded. "By now you must have realized he doesn't like to be taken care of."

"That's an understatement," I replied with a smirk. You could hardly ask the blond if he wanted a cup of coffee; he'd bite your head off, then grudgingly assure you he'd get one if he needed it. Both Sakura and I had made the experience. "But in that case I'll have trouble convincing him."

"You're an Uchiha," she said with a small smile. "It shouldn't be too hard a task for you."

She proved me right fairly easily. As we stepped out of the building, Naruto's eyes shadowed, becoming nearly as gray as the clouds above him, and he swore.

"Since I'm nice, I'll offer you a dry ride. Get in," I ordered. He blinked, lowering his gaze to the black car parked a few feet away. And swore again.

"You filthy rich bastard," he growled under his teeth. "And show-off to boot."

"Get in," I repeated. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

He seemed to snap out of whatever state he was in, and immediately covered his mouth. "I'm sorry," he said immediately. "I just-"

"In," I said firmly. "Now."

He obeyed, to my personal satisfaction, and I installed myself in the driver's seat. "Where to?"

He glanced at me suspiciously. "You're firing me aren't you?"

"Are you kidding?" I made sure to keep my voice perfectly dry. "You're not even half done with the work I have for you. Why would I fire you?"

"Few people let their employees insult them."

I turned the keys, and the mustang roared into life. "You insulted me?" I asked, gazing at him steadily. "When?"

He stared back, his eyes searching for my honesty. They seemed to find it, and he sighed. "Five blocks east. Konoha street."

I followed his directions, feeling a cold shiver run down my spine when I realized where we were going. I knew that place only too well. And hadn't returned since-

"You shouldn't have done this." Naruto was staring at me with a mixture of anger and guilt as we reached the fifth block and turned into the street. "You're even paler than usual. I'll walk."

He reached for the door handle, but I locked it. "I'll be fine," I told him.

"No you won't! Your car's too easy to spot, and I don't want you to know where I live. And being here is making you sick!"

I wished I could deny it. But in truth my head was pounding dangerously, assaulted by the most painful memories of my existence. I clutched the steering wheel tightly, and suddenly Naruto shouted.

"Stop the car, you're going to kill us both!"

My foot hit the brakes, and we were projected forward as the Mustang came to an abrupt halt. For a moment we both stayed silent, both breathing harder than normal.

"Now I get the purpose of seatbelts." Naruto sighed. "You don't have to force yourself, idiot. I'll be fine."

He unclicked his and opened the door. "Thanks for the ride, anyways." With that he left.

I rubbed my eyes tiredly, and drove out, head still pounding fiercely. Though this time not with images, but words. One word, which accompanied me during the entire way home. _Weak._

I slammed my entrance door shut, ignoring the surprised gazes given to me by the maids and stewards, and climbed straight to my bedroom. "No dinner," I growled at the first mention of my name. "I don't want to be bothered."

They nodded, and I smirked thinly to myself. _Rich bastard_. Naruto hadn't been aware of how right he was. Or perhaps he had. He just hadn't realized exactly what a single person could do with so much money. I locked the door leading to my apartments, which included my bedroom, a small bathroom and an office which I kept for a single purpose. Itachi.

All of the belongings he had left after his departure were stocked there. I had searched for a clue of where he might have gone after his studies, but all my efforts had been vain. There was nothing. His college friends had either lost track of him completely or had disappeared as well. Some of them had proved as difficult to track down as my brother. I had hired private detectives of all kinds, done everything I could think of to find him, but Uchiha Itachi seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.

_Weak_. I hadn't thought returning to the place where my parents had been murdered would have this effect on me. I had done my best to push these emotions away by focusing on my search and work. It had been effective, at least until the trip back to the source of my memories. _Weak, weak, weak._

I hated this. Our clan had been famed for the ability to repress and control any kind of emotion. Itachi had excelled at this so much I could never tell what he was thinking. Nor could any member of my family. I had never known his intentions, or what he wanted**- **or _if_ he ever wanted anything. And I had never been able to be like him.

Naruto read my feelings as though they were written all over my face. He was the sole person in that case, but it was already too much. And Sakura was always aware of when I felt too testy to work efficiently. She'd get me some tea on those occasions, and work more quietly.

_Weak_. I removed my clothing angrily. I was still too wound up to sleep, and had no intention of doingso. But for once I yearned for casual clothes**, **not the armour of a power suit that cost more than some people's cars. Those I wore…before.I changed into dark loose pants with a great number of pockets, a tight black shirt, and a sweater. I didn't care if I got wet.

I opened my bedroom window, glancing atthe traces left by the bars my father had placed once I had started to run away**- **not that they had stopped me. He had removed them once I had learned to 'play nice' as Naruto had said, and were now just a memory. Like most things in my life.

I opened the window and climbed out smoothly. Even though I was on the third floor, I had done this many times- 37,if you listened to the blond- and my body hadn't forgotten. Once my feet hit the ground, I darted off, feeling very much like my teenage self.

Night had started to fall, but I knew the way only too well. Part of me grinned in cold irony to this repeating sequence of the past. I ran, ignoring the rain and wind, ignoring the growing ache in the bottom of my stomach, and focusing on the road ahead.

_Weak_. Despite my resolution I had slowed. The streets had barely changed**. **Arich couple being tortured and assassinated there wouldn't make things stop going on the way they had. I had been told the place had much bigger secrets. The hardest of drugs smuggled in the biggest of rings being supposedlyat the very bottom of the list.

I walked aimlessly for what seemed like hours. In the past, my 'friends' would have been expecting me, and had always waited somewhere I could find them. But that had been too long ago. This made me realize**, **again**,** that I had never sought revenge on Hebi for my parent's murder, even though they had done the actual killing. The police had chased them for weeks, but they had vanished as well, with only my testimony that they had even existed. And I had begun speaking much too late. _Weak_.

I barely noticed the group of dealers before stumbling onto them. There were five, and immediately suspicious of me. The first two darted past me to prevent me from escaping, while the others walked over in a threatening manner.

"Who're you?" the one in the middle asked.

Old instincts took over, and I snorted. "If you don't know then I'm not wasting my breath in order to educate you. Move."

He stopped involuntarily. After years of dealing with people from various backgrounds, I knew how to give orders. "I'm not repeating myself," I warned softly. "And I'm not patient either."

"You little shit**!**" It seemed that as long as I couldn't see them they still had some guts left, because it was the guy behind me who shoved a gun barrel between my shoulder blades. "You think you're the boss here? Answerthe question."

I sighed. "I'm beginning to wonder who would ever hire you fools." My voice carried an edge of cold, and did not betray the slightest hint of fear. They hesitated. "What group do you belong to?"

"That's none of your business! Don't pretend you're someone important to the family-"

"Sometimes, you guys should learn to pay attention." I recognized the low voice immediately, turning in its direction at the same time as my captors. "First, I recall forbidding any kind of dealing here-" The voice got closer- "and second, you should really bother to look at who you've captured."

I was immediately blinded by a flashlight, and the five men gasped.

"He's-"

"Quiet!" the sudden roar made them jump. "I don't want to hear you! Now bail before I change my mind and bring your dead bodies back to the Akatsuki!"

They fled, and Naruto stepped out from the shadows. He looked none too pleased.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he growled angrily. "You really want to get killed?" He looked different here. His clothing was similar to the one he had worn on his first day, and he his piercings were back as well, but there was something more. He wasn't the uncomfortable teenager that came to work every day, the one who spoke gruffly or stuttered because he was careful to stay polite. Nor the one who made fun of me whenever he could. No. This Naruto was fiercer, more feline and wild that I had yet witnessed. Short glances around told me he was on the lookout, but unlike the last time**,** he didn't seem scared of anyone watching him. He moved like a predator in his territory, powerful, alert and dangerous.

"Well?"

I realized he was still waiting for my answer. "I was looking for you."

"Looking for me?" he gave me an incredulous look. "Why didn't you wait for tomorrow?"

"I needed to see you now." I wiped strands of hair away from my face. "I want to ask you something that doesn't concern work."

He frowned slowly, ignoring the intensifying rain assassinating his shoulders. "What?"

"I want you to find my brother."

His eyes widened, and his lip immediately tightened. "No."

It was my turn to frown. "Why not?"

"I can't. Don't ask me about it." He refused to meet my gaze, and lowered his voice. Then I realized something.

"You know him?"

"No!" He shook his head fiercely, but his lie was too obvious.

"You know where he is," I stated. "You know what happened to him and you've kept this from me all this time-"

Before I could finish, he caught my wrist and pulled me against him. Astonished, I looked up just as gun fired, no doubt aiming at the spot I had been standing in seconds ago.

"Come on!" Naruto didn't let go of my wrist as he darted off, guns firing behind our heels. He led me through the streets, which became both darker and thinner as we advanced. Suddenly, he pulled me into an alley I wouldn't have noticed otherwise, and stopped, releasing my wrist.

"They can't get us from here," he said with grim satisfaction. "We're going down."

"Where?" I saw him point on something next to me. Looking down, I realized what he meant. "The sewers?"

"This isn't the time to say it's too gross for you," he snapped. "Next time get that brain of yours to work and don't come here." He removed the metallic door. "Get in. It won't be as stylish as that Mustang of yours, but at least it's the safest way to get you out of here."

Wordlessly I climbed down. The smell wasn't as harsh as had expected, but still unpleasant. Despite this I could breathe with my nose. Naruto descended the metallic ladder swiftly, landing next to me without a noise.

"Come on." Strangely, they place wasn't dark. Small lights adorned the walls, illuminating the place enough to see where we went. Naruto said nothing at first. But eventually he sighed. "I'm not allowed to say anything about Itachi," he stated somberly. "You weren't supposed to learn I knew him, but it's a sacrifice we knew we'd need to make if you asked me about him."

"Who's we?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I can't tell."

"What can you tell?" I snapped.

To this, he smiled. "You can always ask."

"Why were those thugs so afraid of you?"

He winced. "Straight to the point, I see." I glared at him. "Fine. I'm-" He hesitated before continuing, "-famous, or so to speak. Infamous, more like. They call me Kyuubi around here. I've got my own territory and all. I make the laws on it, first one being I don't want drugs dealers around."

I inspected him slowly. "Forgive me, but you don't look like a killer."

He laughed. "I'm not. It's my reputation people are afraid of. I don't need to kill anyone." Suddenly his eyes darkened. "That's already taken care of." He looked up again. "You know what Kyuubi is, right?"

"A nine-tailed demon fox," I said. "I'm Japanese, Naruto. Of course I know." Seeing him give me an expectant look, I sighed. "Foxes are important in Japanese mythology; they were known to serve the Shinto god Inari, and were attributed all sorts of powers. They could become humans, for example, although they were usually women-"

"Forget that part," Naruto snapped.

"And the older they got, the more powerful they became. Power was indicated by how many tails they had. Nine was the maximum, reached after a millennium of life." I glanced at him. "Please don't even try to tell me you're that old."

"Of course I'm not, idiot. Keep going."

"With time mentalities changed, and foxes came to be seen as an ill omen. Whenthey became human they were supposed to be deceitful and dangerous. Folklore says good people must avoid them at all times." The last sentence was recited from a book I had read on the subject. It was the sentence Naruto's ear caught.

"Take out 'good', and you'll get why I can't let people touch me."

"From my point of view, you should be trying to get people to befriend you, shouldn't you? You aren't exactly deceitful."

"But I'm dangerous," he replied quietly. "That's why you should stay away." He stopped next to a ladder. "I'll go out first," he added, and began to climb.

"If you're dangerous, why haven't people tried to get rid of you? Why do you have your own territory?"

"It's touching me that's dangerous," he said. "And I'm not the one who decided that." He climbed out, and glanced around. "Seems clear. Come on."

I followed his example, and found myself directly in front of my house. "How did-"

"Remember I did a research on you the first day?" he asked, rolling his eyes. Suddenly he was more like his work self. Out of his territory. "Your current address was the first thing I checked. And I never get lost underground."

A thought occurred. "Do you need a place to stay?" I asked.

He smirked, shaking his head. "Don't worry," he said. "I own an apartment, and there's everything I need to live there. I'm not on the streets or anything. And no one knows where I live."

"Don't get killed." I found myself speaking more seriously than intended.

He shrugged**.** "They can't kill me." With that he vanished into the sewers once more, and I returned to my home the same way I had left it.

"He's late."

"It's his first time," Sakura pointed out. "Perhaps he got delayed."

I nodded curtly, incapable of focusing on my work. The clock was nearing eleven, and Naruto hadn't yet appeared. He had left his laptop in my office, which meant he had intended to return here. Unable stand the silence, I grabbed my phone and selected a number.

"_If you're a cute chick, know that you have chosen the right number-_"

"Jiraiya." My voice was even sharper than usual. I didn't have time for jokes.

"_Uchiha. Is there a problem with the kit?_" How much had the blond told him, I wondered. But there wasn't any time for this.

"He isn't here. Can you contact him?"

"_With my other line,_" I was told. "_Is this the first time?_"

"Yes."

"_Impressive. I think he likes you._" I refrained from replying, and waited. "_He's not answering. Did something happen yesterday?_"

"In a way…" I hesitated, then reported the previous night's events. After all, I suspected the perverted man was better informed than I was.

"_He initiated the contact?_"

"Yes." For some reason, I felt my cheeks warm slightly. Why was Jiraiya speaking like we had done something intimate? It was my wrist**,** for Christ's sake. Annoyed by my own embarrassment, I asked, "Has he ever touched you?"

"_I met him when he was ten._" I hadn't suspected this. I kept quiet as the older man continued. "_It was at a bar called Ichiruka, and he was watching my computer like it was the most beautiful thing on earth. I __told__ him __I'd__ explain how it worked, but he shied away. After a few days, though, he accepted, after making me promise not to touch him. As in, not at all. He never took me for a pedophile._"

"He's the first."

"_Hold your tongue Uchiha. I learned he'd never gone to school. He could read and count like any kid his age, which made me think someone had taught him. But he kept assuring me he lived alone._"

"At ten?"

"_I was as speculative as you are. But he told me his neighbors fed him adequately. And once I began teaching him, I realized he had a knack for computers. A natural. So I taught him everything I knew and even offered him to live with me._"

"He refused?"

"_Of course. He was no different from now. Told me he could take care of himself, and got real angry every time I __asked__. It's only later that I learned why._" He paused, then continued more grimly, "_I found out who had taken care of him as a baby and young child. Umino Iruka, who worked not too far away from the Uchiha Inc. buildings. He died when Naruto turned eight. And I have several reasons to think the kit was there when they killed him. Eventually __Naruto__ admitted that anyone who had ever touched him was dead._"

A cold sensation slowly crept upon my body. "Except me."

"_As I said, if he initiated it, then I'm more inclined to think he'll get punished._"

"You think that _suits_ me? My life isn't worth any more than his!"

"_They won't kill him._" Jiraiya sounded sure of his words. "_They won't even hurt him in any way that leaves traces you can see. He needs to stay presentable to his boss._"

"I sincerely hope you aren't talking about me," I said venomously.

"_His boss in the Akatsuki. They're the ones who __imposed this isolation on__him._"

Before I could ask what he was talking about, a scream caught my attention. "We'll finish later," I growled, snapping my phone shut. I rushed out of my office, followed closely by Sakura, heading directly to the entrance hall. The scene that met our eyes was tainted with crimson.

Naruto stood weakly upon the threshold, dressed like he had been the previous night, with one notable difference. His clothes were covered with dirt and blood, rent in places with large gashes. His face bled the most, and I saw that someone had carved three horizontal streaks on each of his cheeks, below hollow-looking eyes.

He took a step forward, and stumbled, falling to the floor. Sakura rushed towards him.

"Don't touch him!" I shouted. I had just noticed the man standing on the street. The glass wall allowed him to see everything that was going on inside, and from his small smile, I knew the sight of the bloodied blond didn't surprise him.

Sakura froze, then noticed the man. Rage suddenly filled her features. "You!" she cried, careful to step around Naruto as she charged outside. "What did you do to him?"

She grabbed the man by the collar, actually lifting him off his feet, and glowered at him murderously. Part of me recalled the report Naruto had made on her**:** 6th dan in Karate, and as strong as a bull. He hadn't been exaggerating.

"Put him down, Sakura**,"** Naruto groaned as he pushed himself up. Biting my lip, I cursed my lack of power over the situation. I couldn't even help him up. "_He_ didn't do anything."

"He brought you back!" she said furiously. "And he doesn't look too bothered about your state!"

"He's crazy," came the weak reply. "He can't feel emotion."

I walked over to the entrance just as the man began speaking. "I was actually pleased to see people here cared, Kitsune," he said to the blond. "Of course I suppose you haven't told them about your little secret-"

"Shut up!" How Naruto managed to get this much air out of his lungs I didn't know. But he seemed to have gotten some of his energy back. "Shut up! I got what I deserved, so leave me alone now!"

"I can't, unless this lovely lady puts me back to the ground." He didn't seem too bothered by the fact that a woman shorter than him was holding him with a single arm. I decided Naruto was probably right, and the guy _was_ crazy. Sakura put him down –dropped him, actually- and he turned towards me.

"The Akatsuki sends its regards, Uchiha Sasuke," he stated. "My name is Sai. Consider this**"** -he jerked his head in Naruto's direction**- "**a warning. For yourself."

With that he turned, climbing into the luxurious black car waiting behind him, which left as soon as the door closed. I turned back to the wounded blond. "Stay back," he warned weakly. "They're still watching us." He got to his feet slowly.

"Somebody get a wheelchair," I snapped.

"I don't need help," Naruto replied angrily.

Briskly, I walked back around to face him. "Listen, Uzumaki," I stated in a low, warning growl. "I'm aware that I can't touch you unless I'm ready to risk either my life or your well-being. But you are _not_ going to keep me from getting you to the infirmary as fast as I can afford without having to drag you. Now get into the goddamn chair."

He held me glare with one of his own. "I'm bandaging myself."

"I know that," I snapped.

He sighed, and dropped into the wheelchair one of the employees had brought. "I'm not even sure you're allowed to push me in this thing," he grumbled.

"If you aren't sure I can't, then I can." Grabbing the two handles, I walked to the elevator, and took him to the infirmary. Quickly explaining the situation to the nurse, I told her to take a break while Naruto nursed his wounds. But the idiot managed to lock himself in the room separated from the nurse's office before I could block the door.

"I don't need your chaperoning me!" he shouted as I banged on the thick surface. "I can do it by myself!"

"Open the door or I'm breaking it down," I growled angrily. "Don't be an idiot, Naruto!"

"I want privacy! It's legal, isn't it?"

Sakura chose this moment to arrive. Wordlessly, I pointed at the offending surface, and she immediately saw what I wanted. One kick was all it took. The door flew open, and we peered inside. Sakura flushed immediately and stormed out, as Naruto brought his knees up.

He wasn't naked; his boxers were still on his waist, but from the way he looked at me it seemed as though I was as perverted as Jiraiya.

"I'm a boy, idiot," I sighed. "I'm not going to rape you."

"A girl could hardly rape me," the blond pointed out angrily. "And I said I wanted privacy."

"I'm not taking my eyes off you after what happened," I replied on a similar tone. "I don't care if you're butt-naked or covered in blood."

"I won't do anything until you leave," he snapped. "Leave me alone!"

"No." My temper was slowly edging out of my control, and it took everything I had to speak calmly. "The last time I did, you came back like this. I'm not repeating that mistake." Furiously, I went to a corner of the room and sat on the floor, glaring at the wall. "I can't afford to lose anyone else. My family's enough."

He was silent. I didn't move, and after several seconds he understood it would be the best I could offer. I heard him shift, rummaging through the drawers in order to find some bandages. Once the drawers closed again, he paused. I didn't turn to see what was bothering him. "What is it?"

He didn't answer immediately. Suddenly he sighed angrily. "Come help me," he said in a resolute voice.

I looked up. He was sitting on one of the beds, and both of his legs were already bandaged. It looked like professional work. Then I realized why he had wanted to hide his torso.

"What's on your stomach?"

Part of me already knew. There was no way he would have asked of a tattoo this size. It looked like a sun, a black sun, which spiraled to the center that was Naruto's navel.

"Like it?" the blond asked grimly. "They put it on me when I was a few weeks old. And they keep re-injecting ink regularly so it stays black. That's the symbol for what I am. Kyuubi. One of the Jinchuuriki."

"Jinchuuriki?"

"Demon holders. There's nine of us for the moment. We're the 'untouchables'. That's the way you recognize us." He slid a finger along the spiral. "We're the scapegoats, in a way. A way to hold Akatsuki's members in place; at least they know whatever happens, their life is better than ours. Plus it gives them something to talk about." He handed me a roll of bandages, holding the end close to his shoulder. "Don't touch me," he warned. "I'll tie it."

I nodded, indicating him to continue.

He sighed, looking away. "I don't want to sound like a sissy," he said somberly. "But we're supposed to have 'the saddest story in town'. The easy way being-"

"Seclusion." I suddenly remembered Jiraiya's words.

Naruto nodded. "Anyone who's ever lived with us, who raised us and fed us isn't allowed to live. Iruka was the first for me." His fist curled slowly. "They didn't want me to die. Dead, I was useless. My role in the Akatsuki was to suffer. So they waited until I was old enough to fend for myself. Sai, the guy you saw, he was in charge of watching me. He made sure I didn't starve, and reported anyone who touched me. Those people all died, and by the time I reached nine I had learned my lesson."

"He didn't seem much older than you," I remarked quietly.

"He wasn't. He never did anything to me, justwatched. Like a guardian angel or something. Blacker though."

"He's mad," I said dryly.

"He can't feel," Naruto snapped. "They beat emotion out of him before he learned to talk. He can't help himself. Out of them all he's not the worst. Goddamn annoying, but he's the only one who ever acted civilized with me."

I nodded. "What about my brother?"

He looked up. "I told you I wasn't allowed to talk about Itachi," he growled. "He doesn't bother with me, in any case. The only reason he might know I exist is because I work for you."

I felt my fingers tighten on the cloth I was wrapping around his arm. Naruto winced. "Itachi is watching me?"

"I didn't say that," the blond replied, looking away.

"You hinted as much," I said curtly. "Why does he pay attention to me?"

To my surprise, Naruto snorted. "That's so obvious I don't even need to answer," he said dryly. "And stop talking about him or I'm really going to get hurt. You already know way too much."

I mentally winced, and forced my attention away from my brother. "What about Jiraiya?"

"I never lived with him," Naruto replied. "I was careful to stay as distant with him as I could afford. I mean-" He gave me a pained look- "-it was the only way to keep him alive. I know he probably sees me as the most problematic kid he's ever dealt with-"

"He doesn't hate you at all," I assured him. "He was worried when I called him."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I didn't hurt him. I told him eventually, and he did some research and all, but it's still hard." Naruto's eyes were considerably darker than usual. "That's the whole point of my life, so you can say it was effective, even though I had finally linked to someone. And then you butted in."

"Forgive me," I told him dryly. "Next time I'll kick you out like a proper businessman would have and hire some old library rat to do the work."

To this the blond laughed. "Actually, I'm pretty glad I met you," he admitted. "You're the only one who didn't think I was a monster, or someone to pity. You treated me like I was normal."

"You don't exactly look like a fox to me," I said, keeping my previous tone.

"Don't speak too soon." Absentmindedly, Naruto touched his cheeks. "Whiskers," he told me. "They were laughing the entire time."

"Who's 'they'?"

Again he looked away. "It doesn't matter. They're dead now." He must have felt my frown. "Even if they were punishing me, they touched me, didn't they? There's no exception to the rule."

Powerlessness. It was a new feeling I was beginning to despise. I could only watch as a single tear slid down his cheek, reddening with the blood that covered his skin. It reached his chin, and dropped…to land on my finger. He gave me a fearful look.

"It's not you once it leaves your skin," I said. "Who's the boss in the Akatsuki?"

"I can't tell you that kind of thing." His eyes were pleading. "Please don't ask. I can't hand you the Akatsuki's secrets without risking my life**- **and yours."


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, I am sorry, sorry, really sorry this took so long. I haven't found a beta, so this won't be as perfect as it should be, but I've corrected as much as I could. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer - I don't wanna own Naruto. Seriously, it'd be too much work.  
**

This wasn't over. I had never before given any thought to my ancestors, but now seemed a good time to address them, and swear to all Uchihas before me I would get revenge for that idiot blond.

Naruto hadn't said a word after our little discussion in the infirmary. It hurt to watch him walk back to my office as though nothing had happened, apologize for both the scene he had provoked and his lateness, and return to his work the exact same way he had done in the last few days. Clearly he did not want me to talk about what had happened, ignoring me if I tried to speak to him. Forcing the Uchiha clan's mask upon my face, I calmed my aching nerves and imitated his behavior. There was no point in trying to talk to him now.

Sakura handed me the morning's work with trembling hands. As I glanced up at her, I realized it wasn't due to what I might have thought to be grief or pain. No, my usually soft, delicate secretary was shaking with a rage well-related to my own. And she had no impassive mask to hide beneath. Despite this she did her best to maintain a straight face while handing Naruto his own stack, and walked out of the room without a word.

The building remained as silent as a graveyard for the rest of the day. It was hard to work, harder even to check on the blond's results. I spent a decent potion of the morning focused on aimless thoughts, regretting my nationality for the first time. Japanese simply wasn't the ideal language when you wanted to swear your lungs out, and the education I had received forbade me from any display of temper.

The clock struck three, startling me into awareness. Sakura entered the office as I leaned back on my chair, trying to remember exactly what I had been supposed to be working on at this hour.

"Mrs. Hyuuga called," my secretary said, offering both Naruto and I cups of coffee. Hyuuga...Hinata. Yes. I still couldn't remember the subject. "For the contract you needed to sign together. She said she couldn't come this afternoon. There was a snowstorm in New York yesterday and all the planes were canceled. She'll be arriving this evening-" Sakura halted and sighed as I nodded obediently, allowing worry to form upon her features. "You should take a walk," she advised in a soft voice. "It might help you clear your head."

I nodded again, and got to my feet. My staying here was pointless, and more stressful than anything else. Taking my coat, I turned back to the blond. "Feel free to leave when you're done. I don't know whether I'll come back."

"That's..." he paused, suddenly hesitating. Looking at him, I spotted a subconscious cringe, and suddenly realized that the Akatsuki might not just have given him a beating. Threats were my guess. I gave him a questioning look, and he shrugged. "I was going to say 'irresponsible'. But it's not my place to say, right?"

"Are you asking me?" My voice had snapped, much to my surprise. Naruto's eyes rose to face mine, wider than usual. "Are you expecting me to confirm whatever those people said to you while they were cutting you up? What they implemented in your brain by using pain to make it stick? I will _not_." I needed to get out, fast. Without another word, I slammed out of my office and hurried out of the building before my sensitive self could remember exactly how cold it was outside.

The glacial air hit me like a wall. The weather had cooled drastically in the last few days, and I shivered despite the warmness of my coat. Advancing rapidly through the streets, I eventually ceased pretending the cold left me unaffected and entered a bar.

"Bit early to start drinking," someone remarked after I had given my order. The voice was too familiar to miss. Closing my eyes, I slowly counted to ten, and then turned around. Sadly I hadn't been dreaming. Hatake Kakashi gave me an ironic salute before installing himself in the chair next to mine.

"You are honestly the last person I need to see today," I growled at the man, rubbing my temple in anticipation.

"Nah, I'm sure I'm after your brother on the list," he replied with a cheerful smile. "Though, what I ever did to earn so much hate, I often wonder..."

"Kakashi," my warning voice growled. The man's hair was snow-white; quite unusual for the detective and part-time bodyguard he was, but none of his clients ever complained. Just like the blond still working in my office, he was good enough to give his looks some slack. Though nothing he did, in my opinion, could possibly excuse his character.

"If you give me time I'm sure I'll end up coming first, though," he added, blissfully ignorant of my growing irritation. "You know what they say: practice makes perfect. How do you think I'm doing?" Before I could reply, he continued, "That was a rhetorical question, sorry. My point is-"

I didn't register the following words, instead wondering, as I did every time I saw him, how we had met in the first place. Then remembering he had been the first person I had hired to look for my brother. He had searched for a month, befriending me in the process, and had then canceled the entire thing, telling me I should simply give up on Itachi. Needless to say I hadn't followed his advice. It was, after all, only my business.

A glass filled with a liquid of undefinable color was placed before me, but my neighbor caught it before I moved.

"I was serious," he said, still smiling. Sipping, his face became grave and he observed me. "You look..." he paused, thoughtful. "Now they had a word for this in France I liked. What was it again?"

"You've been to France lately?" I asked, slightly surprised.

"Who hasn't?" He shook his head. "My dear little Sasuke, you should know that in troubled times, one must always visit the city of love; it cleanses the heart and soul-"

"Could you stop spitting nonsense?" I snapped. "My brain's already under enough stress-"

"_Furax_,"Kakashi breathed. "I love that word. That's exactly what you are. But I believe I can help you get some relief."

"Sure," I replied. "Let's go outside; I'm sure my fists could use a little workout."

"With some luck they won't need any," the man replied. "But outside's a good idea." He dropped a bill on the counter and forced me to my feet. "Come on. People can't overhear with scarves covering their ears."

Snow had started to fall. We walked to the closest park, progressing slowly once we had entered.

"I got a mail," Kakashi finally said. "Telling me you needed help."

"I never said I needed-"

"I was told you might," the older man cut me. "I've also received all the necessary information to take that entire organization down, given adequate firepower." He gave the closest bench a thoughtful look. "The Akatsuki, huh? Lots of underlings. But they're a small thinking group; we don't need to take out that many to dismantle the entire thing."

He stopped in mid-track, suddenly realizing I hadn't followed.

"Wait," I said. "Wait. Don't tell me you know exactly what we'd be going up against-"

"More than that. I not only know what, but also where and when. My sources also warned me you'd be ready to follow. And don't worry. Gamabunta Security is watching over both my laptop and my personal well-being for the moment." He winked, and I only stared.

"Why are you involving yourself in this?" I asked. "It isn't any of your business. Who sent you that mail?"

"Your brother." Kakashi's grin increased tenfold as I glared. "Next time don't ask for details," he advised. "That way you won't hear things you don't like."

"Why can't you just tell me you don't want to share the information?" I snapped. "And you haven't answered my first question."

"As to why I'm suddenly interested in something more than bothering you? Change of mood, I guess. Though that's probably not going to satisfy you. Let's say I already lost someone to that group. Another Jinchuuriki, too. The first tail, Tanuki." He sighed. "His name was Gaara. Your little protégé surely knows about him."

"He's not my-"

"Do you want to do this or not?" This time the man's smile was gone. "Truthfully, Uchiha, I don't exactly enjoy freezing my ass off -if you'll excuse the expression- while you debate on how close you feel to that European kid. Or American. I don't need to debate on that. I'd rather know whether or not you intend to do anything about the condition he's in."

I gave him a suspicious look. "He's the one who told you," I accused.

"I said it was your brother, didn't I?"

"Fine." I raised my hands in defeat. "I'll stop asking. When are we doing this?"

Slowly, but surely, the smile returned. "How fast can your troops turn in?"

Uchiha Inc. was most commonly known for its high-tech products, multiple services and worldwide presence. Few people were aware of the fact the company had started as a private police force, before my father had taken matters into his own hands and turned it into what is was now. The Uchiha troops, however, had never entirely vanished, since convincing unwilling partners was much easier if you had a means of physical persuasion -technique my predecessor had widely used- and always came in handy for situations such as these.

Contacting my 'troops' was actually much less of a challenge than I would have thought. I readjusted my tie before ringing the doorbell of the prestigious mansion standing before me, and was welcomed by one of the family's maids.

"Mr. Uchiha," the woman said. "We weren't expecting you. Please do come in."

"My secretary told me Mrs Hyuuga would be arriving in the evening," I explained with a polite smile. "I thought I might stop by."

"She hasn't arrived yet," the maid confessed. "Her cousin also came by to welcome her; would you like to join him in the living room? I will bring you some tea." I nodded and followed her through the first floor, and was introduced to a man I hadn't thought I'd see again this soon.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he spoke softly, getting to his feet as I approached. "Truth to say, I was expecting you earlier."

I arched an eyebrow, and Hyuuga Neji removed his cellphone from his pocket. "Your detective called two hours ago. I came here as soon as I found an excuse."

"Kakashi isn't my detective anymore," I said sternly. "Did he tell you about what we needed?"

"In a detailed fashion," the other man assured. "I'll give you a report once I have your confirmation on the matter, as well as your motive." He handed me a curious look. "What happened?"

I didn't answer, until the maid returned with tea and cake. She set everything on a low table, and left as quietly as she had entered.

"I happen to have an issue with the Akatsuki," I finally stated, taking a sip from one of the cups. "They challenged me in my own territory, and I am not about to let that pass."

"In your territory?" Neji repeated. "You mean they killed someone in Uchiha Inc.'s entrance hall or something?" His smile vanished when he realized how close he was to the truth.

"Maybe you haven't heard of the Jinchuuriki," I began. "But-" Neji interrupted me with a raised hand.

"My bad," he said. "I hadn't considered you could have met one of those. How many tails?"

"Nine," was my dry answer. "Didn't Kakashi tell you anything about this?"

"It's not a subject he likes to discuss, Uchiha. I thought he might have explained that to you. I was with Gaara when he was killed." Memory that hadn't manifested itself with Kakashi suddenly roared back to my mind.

It had been a year ago; despite giving up on the mission I had given him, Kakashi had stayed in touch, keeping an eye on me every so often. Several weeks after his departure, he had come to me for help, and I had sent Neji and ten additional members of the Uchiha police force to investigate some of the dangerous areas of town. Kakashi had brought some of his own men, and the whole thing had been a disaster.

My ex-detective's men, as well as Neji, had all been captured by a group called Byakugan, and had suffered the price of their mistake. Nowadays, Hyuuga Neji constantly wore a black bandana or hat to hide his forehead, which had been marked by the yakuza group's symbol, the caged bird cross. Kakashi had never told me one of his men had also been killed in the process. I had always believed that those marked foreheads had been the worst causalities of the incident.

"Gaara was recognized and sent back to the Akatsuki," Neji explained. "He had escaped when he was a kid, and I believe they made an example out of him, for all the other Jinchuuriki."

"Why wasn't I told of this?" My voice was quiet, my knuckles whiter than usual.

"I don't think Kakashi had the heart to tell anyone," the other man sighed. "Gaara took refuge in his family; they grew up together." He paused, then softly added, "We shouldn't focus on the past."

Taking a deep breath, I nodded. "Tell me everything you know."

I departed an hour and a half later, the last thirty minutes spent with the female Hyuuga. Hinata had nearly strangled me when we had greeted each other, and had insisted on taking care of all the paperwork immediately. Therefore it was with a sense of accomplishment that I left the Hyuuga mansion, returning to my own two hours later than usual.

The lights were all lit, which surprised me; usually only the kitchens, entrance hall and dining room's lights were turned on when I came home this late.

"Master!" one of the maids exclaimed when I came in. "Everyone's been worried! Ms. Haruno just arrived; she thought they might have tried to kidnap you as well-"

I blinked, panic suddenly hitting me like a wave. "She was kidnapped?"

"She says they tried, sir; she's in the kitchen right now, and we've called security..."

I did not listen to the rest, rushing to the aforementioned place. Sakura was fighting off my cook, whose temper was nearly as dangerous as my secretary's. "I told you I could do it myself!" the younger woman cried, swiftly wrapping bandages around her left forearm.

"Your face is a mess and we'll do it much faster if we're two-" Tsunade noticed me and straightened. "Sasuke dear, tell this young lady to let me do my job before I completely lose my self-control."

"You should listen to your elders," I stated dryly. "What happened to you?"

Sakura's entire body suddenly weakened, and only Tsunade's presence kept her from losing foot. "You're alive," she sighed in relief. "I didn't know where you were, and Shikamaru called me to say Ino had disappeared. I was" -she stiffened as Tsunade began bandaging her again- "attacked by some street thugs on my way to his place, and they told me you'd be next. I called the police, but I wasn't sure my thugs were the ones supposed to take care of you..."

"How many of them were they?" I asked.

She gave me an angry look. "Five, and by now I thought you might assume it wasn't a problem to me. The only reason I got hurt is because they took me by surprise. But they wanted to have some fun before, so they didn't knock me out." She smiled grimly.

"Do you know if they went after anyone else?" I asked, taking out my cellphone.

Sakura shook here head. "I suppose they went after those Sai saw this morning," she told me. "Ino handed you the wheelchair, and I'm the one who nearly beat his brains out."

"When did this happen?"

"Shika called me half an hour ago," Sakura said quietly. "He's worried..."

I could have cursed. Why hadn't I thought of concealing my actions? Of course the Akatsuki would pay minimum attention to what I did during the day, and my visiting the Hyuugas would never have gone unnoticed. Obviously, others had paid for my personal stupidity.

I dialed the number rapidly, keeping my fingers from curling as I waited. "Kakashi?" I said as soon as I heard an answer. "I'm afraid we're going to have to speed things up."

* * *

The night air bit harshly into my skin as I got out of the car, but I barely noticed. Sakura stepped out a second after me, and the two of us headed to the white-haired man standing amidst a group of heavily equipped men.

"This isn't a place for the pretty ladies," Kakashi remarked as soon as we were close. "I'd also advise you not to come, Uchiha. Things might get ugly."

"We don't have time to give you a demonstration of Sakura's capabilities, and my staying here is out of the question," I snapped. "Where's Neji?"

"On the other side. I told him I wanted to keep an eye on you."

"I'll help you with that part," Sakura assured him, slipping on a pair of leather gloves. "Don't worry about me."

Kakashi's eyebrows rose, but he shrugged, and asked instead, "What weapons did you bring?"

"Gun, just as you told me," I replied. "And this." I revealed the wakizashi attached to my hip.

Again Kakashi's eyebrows rose. "Useful for close-up combat," he admitted. "If you know how to use it."

"Hatake, I know what to expect from this kind of place," I snapped. "I don't bring things like these for show."

"Just checking," he replied. "What about you?"

Sakura removed a small spaying bottle from a pouch. "Tear gas," she explained. "But I wouldn't say no to a gun."

"You can use one?"

"I can aim," Sakura replied. "I'll learn."

"Very well." The man sighed, handing her his weapon. "Take your bulletproof jackets and try to stay with me, both of you. We're going in!" he shouted to the rest of the group.

It soon became obvious we were expected, but also obvious the enemy hadn't thought there'd be so many of us. Firing guns welcomed us as soon as we entered the darker streets, and we carefully spread out, advancing more rapidly as each group split. Sakura, Kakashi and I were accompanied by two men, and soon ran into an enemy group twice as large. Guns ceased to be an answer once everyone took notice of the lack of space separating adversaries. Sakura was the first to grab someone and throw him against his peers, and the opposite gender soon imitated her.

Here's an interesting fact: no one counts to four. Birds and humans alike are perfectly capable of telling you how many hunters have entered a patch of land if their number is inferior or equal to said number. Past that, the birds can't tell and we have to count. I happened to have four companions, which meant it was a lot easier to keep track of all of them while fighting than if there had been an additional person.

I unsheathed the wakizashi and slashed as soon as I knew all those I didn't want to hit were out of range. Our opponents' weapons varied from metal bars to nunshakus to actual swords, sprinkled with electric devices of multiple form. There was no holding back in this kind of situation; these thugs wanted us dead, and weren't likely to surrender. I aimed my blows on their legs, stopping most in their tracks, while Sakura made a very good job out of knocking people out with a single blow to the neck. Even Kakashi stopped to admire her technique.

And then I heard the banging. Without looking back, I rushed into one of the smaller alleys, running toward a metallic door secured by the iron bar slid between the knobs.

"Let me _out_!" a familiar voice roared. "You can't keep me in here forever, you fucking bastards, open the damn door!"

The iron bar was pulled out and I stepped out of the way as the door burst open. Naruto was quite a sight; his facial wound were nearly healed, distinctively visible against his pale, furious face. He was dressed entirely in black, bare throat revealing a necklace I had failed to notice before. His fists were curled in a dangerous manner, eyes shining with a fury that made me thankful we were on the same side.

He barely seemed to notice me; as soon as his brain registered I was not someone he wanted to hurt, he turned away and glared murderously towards the roofs. "I need that," he growled in my direction, extending his hand for the sword.

"I came here for you, Uzumaki," was my curt reply. "I'm not letting you out of my sight now that I've-"

A small round object landed next to my feet, releasing tear gas inside the minuscule street. Masked men chose that moment to appear on each side, preventing us from escaping.

Naruto seized the iron bar that had kept him captive, while I rose my blade, but fighting with our eyes half-closed was pointless. We were both captured and knocked out before any of us could call for help.

* * *

"The Kyuubi's waking, sir."

Something beside me stirred, and a voice chuckled. "He'll have cost us a lot more than the others, hasn't he?"

"Yes, sir."

There was a sound of a foot hitting something soft, and a grunt. "Get to your feet, Jinchuuriki."

Sound next to me. I open my eyes in slits, and saw Naruto push himself up obediently. The man who had issued the order was out of my view range, but I could see the men surrounding the three of us. Not good.

"Wake your friend as well," the leader ordered.

"You're going to kill him aren't you?" Naruto's voice was low, resigned. I almost frowned.

The other man laughed. "After what he's done you still ask? My goodness, Kyuubi, are you that attached to him?"

Naruto didn't answer.

"Not only will he die, but he'll do so quite painfully, I'm afraid. I've lost too many men over this. Were the other groups taken care of?" he asked one of his underlings.

"We couldn't capture them, but they've stopped attacking," someone answered.

"Not good enough," the man snapped. I heard him move, and an instant later, a foot connected with my ribs, harshly. I groaned, but caught the man's heel and tugged, hoping I could make him lose his balance. Sadly, he fled from my grip and backed away as two of his men seized me and forced me to straighten.

"Fool," he snapped, hitting me across the face once my arms were securely held behind me. "Do you even know who I am?"

I lifted my head defiantly, staring, unblinking, into his eyes. "Trash, as far as I'm concerned."

Naruto biting his lip was the last thing I saw before a second blow sent me to the ground. The two men rushed to my side in order to keep me from fleeing. I could feel something warm slide down the side of my face, but my nose and mouth were still intact.

"I'm the leader of the Akatsuki," the man standing above me growled. "Your life span depends solely on my personal whim, so I suggest you start watching your mouth."

I snorted. "I think I'd rather die right now."

To my surprise, he laughed. "You Uchihas are all the same," he told me with a cynical chuckle. "Too proud for your own good. I'm sure you remember what happened to your parents."

I forced myself to shrug. Keeping my voice under control was much harder. "If you've already encountered members of my clan, then you should know how to deal with me."

"Don't worry about that," he said, amused. "I know how to tame the likes of you." He moved, and something slashed against my face. Blinking away pain, I shook my buzzing head, faintly noticing blood now flowed freely from the wound that had formed upon my cheekbone. "You all act as though you own everything you touch," the man spat. "The Jinchuurikis belong to me! Their bodies are mine to touch alone! Anyone who defies that rule will die!"

"Really?" I forced out. "So you're a pedophile as well as a psychopath?"

"You're an idiot," he remarked. "You'll be screaming your lungs out before the end of the day, and all you're trying to do is provoke me."

I snorted, but hardly felt amused. Kakashi and Neji had most likely been drawn away, and had no means of knowing where we were. We needed time. "Sadly, I'm realizing it's not working. How does it feel to have half of your minions taken down by the Uchiha police force?"

"Your little soldiers have barely done any damage," the man sneered. "You're dreaming if you think they can overtake anything bigger than our local coffee shop."

"I know this sounds just like the crappy movies,"a voice drawled from the darkness. "But guess again." Bullets suddenly rained down on the men surrounding the three of us, and Naruto hurried to my side, shielding my body with his.

"It's our side, idiot," I sighed, hating how weak my voice was.

"And the other side will start shooting back any moment now," he growled back. "Where's that silver stick of yours?"

"Are you trying to be funny?" I asked, wiping my face as I got to my feet. "How am I supposed to know where they put it?"

"Uchiha!" Neji appeared in front of me, and glanced at Naruto quickly before handing me the aforementioned weapon. "Get yourselves out of here now! Kakashi's been wanting to kill the two of you for the past hour" -so they'd gotten time to find us. Still, it was fast- "and if this keeps up he's going to have his wish granted in no ti-" A man collided into his side, and the two of them rolled on the ground.

To my surprise, Naruto grabbed the wakizashi's hilt and hurried over, plunging the blade into the attacker's side. He howled, and Neji shoved him away.

"Uzumaki, get over here!" I heard myself shout, noticing the Akatsuki's leader attempt a discreet escape.

Naruto's eyes flew to the direction I had been pointing at, and he let out a hateful snarl, following me towards the man. The latter accelerated as soon as he realized we were following, removing a gun from his belt and aiming in our direction.

"Now, I don't think that's to be tolerated," the same drawling voice said ahead of us. "Didn't you learn not to shoot Uchihas? It's way too much paperwork if you hit them."

Kakashi stood, in front of a entire unit of my men, each of their guns aiming at our prey. The leader froze, and Naruto stepped up to him, armed hand raised, placing the wakizashi's tip at the base of his throat. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment, you bastard," he whispered poisonously.

"There's no way this is over," his captive spat. "All of the leaders are here; you can't possibly defeat us all-"

"It depends which way you count." Kakashi stepped closer, stretching his neck. "We've had help."

"You shouldn't let someone who can hack into your software hate you this much," I added, pointing my thumb at Naruto. Stepping closer to the younger man, I placed a firm hand on his shoulder. He shivered under my touch, but seeing the leader's furious glare, his free hand snaked behind him, reaching for mine. Our fingers locked defiantly, and my other arm lowered from his shoulder to wrap around his waist. "It's over," I told him in an angry voice, glaring at the man in front of us. "It's all over."

Kakashi took this time to handcuff the fulminating man, a half smile plastered on his face.

Naruto lowered the wakizashi, and turned around to give me what he deemed to be a proper hug. I tightened my hold on him, pressing my forehead on his shoulder, suddenly exhausted.

"Hey," the blond suddenly whispered. I looked up, and realized I had put blood all over his shirt. "What were you talking about back then? The getting help part."

I frowned. "You gave us all the information on the Akatsuki to Kakashi," I said. "You sent him a mail."

"I don't even know who the guy is," Naruto replied. "Wait. Hatake Kakashi? He's the one who did research on-"

"Me." My body literally jolted in surprise as a voice I hadn't heard in slightly less than a decade echoed in the small alleyway. It couldn't be. It couldn't-

Uchiha Itachi stepped into the dim light, smiling as dryly as he used to, years ago. Naruto caught my shoulders as I turned, making me realize my entire body was shaking. The man walked towards me, stopping just out of my arm's reach. "Good evening, little brother."

This wasn't real. My brother had vanished from the face of the earth, he couldn't just reappear _now_-

"I don't see why you're so surprised," the blond behind me said softly. "You guessed I knew where he was, remember?"

"Let...go." It was hard to speak. Even harder to take a step forward, and reach out to touch the man in front of me. My trembling fingers rose to touch my brother's face, just to make sure he was real. Itachi didn't move, allowing the digits to slide against his cheek, his face remaining perfectly impassive. It was strange; I remembered my brother used to tower over me, and now he was only several centimeters taller than I was.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "I hadn't been lying about the mail, you know," he remarked. "Without your brother's help we'd never have pulled this off."

"My sources tell me your were getting quite attached to the kit," Itachi added, a small grin forming on his face. "And since I've always had your best interest at heart..."

"Liar." My common sense was slowly returning to my brain, and the anger I had accumulated during the years suddenly surfaced back. "You fled our clan like a coward, without giving any indication you were even alive. You didn't even come back when Mother and Father got killed -you couldn't have missed it, it was all over the news- and now you have the nerve to show up as a member of this _group_, this-" Itachi's sigh stopped me. Turning towards the detective, he shrugged.

"I told you this wasn't going to work."

I stared. "You were- You know each other?"

Kakashi gave me an odd look. "I never told you why I had stopped looking for your brother?" At my frown, he sighed, echoing Itachi. "You were in no state to hear his excuses at the time," he explained. "He knew you were searching for him and contacted me. After that, there was no reason to keep pretending I was still looking for someone I had found. So I quit."

"Excuses?" I repeated, disbelieving. "Does he have any?"

"One," Itachi replied, and to my surprise, his voice was suddenly angry. "I befriended the wrong people." He jerked his head in the captive man's direction.

"Your brother became friends with heirs of Yakuza groups without knowing it," Kakashi explained. "He learned that small detail a wee bit late, and was already too involved in their business when he realized. They couldn't let him go, and he wasn't powerful enough to destroy the entire group at the time, so he played nice until his own minions were numerous enough. He kept an eye on you in case anything happened."

"The incident with our parents was regrettable," Itachi said darkly. "And I'm afraid it's my fault. I had starting acting...reckless, and the Akatsuki decided it was time to put me back into place. I'm truly sorry for this."

I shook my head. "You always hated Father and Mother." I hadn't realized how true my words were until my mouth uttered them. But there was no denying them.

"You didn't," Itachi replied evenly. "You're the one who suffered the most from this fiasco. And that hurt me."

Hands that had been shyly holding to mine suddenly firmed and pushed me towards my brother. "Your pasts are both complete shit," Naruto said matter-of-factly. "Forget them, forgive him and go hug each other." He did not let go of my hand completely, but forced me into Itachi's arms nonetheless. As my brother hesitantly pressed me against his body, I realized something. I had actually missed him. Unbelievable.

"Damn, Itachi," I growled, "why couldn't you at least _call_-"

"Once you get inside the mafia, it's hard to get anything out, little brother. I'm sure you little fox made you understand that."

"I'm not a fox, sir," Naruto grumbled behind me. "I thought the whole Jinchuuriki thing was over."

"You will remain a fox to me." Itachi's voice resumed its amused tone as he pushed me out of his arms and into the blond's. "Here you go," he added with a smirk. "Take good care of my baby brother."

"I'll try." Blue eyes suddenly glinted with mischief, meeting Itachi's coal black squarely. The two of them smiled, and a feeling of doom slowly began to creep up on me.

"Not that I'm bored, but this isn't the best place to talk." Kakashi stifled a yawn as he beckoned us over. "Why don't we join that charming Haruno girl? Now that Yamanaka is with her, they make up a truly beautiful pair." Itachi was the closest. He cuffed the detective lightly over the head, but headed out of the alley nonetheless. We all followed, when a thought suddenly entered my mind.

"How did you keep an eye on me?" I asked Itachi. "I met Naruto less then a month ago."

"Jinchuurikis weren't under anyone's orders but the big boss, little brother," Itachi replied. "I sent someone else to watch over you, of course. I was afraid he might get spotted when the kit foolishly revealed they knew each other" -Naruto ducked his head sheepishly- "but it seems you forgot about that little slip of tongue."

I frowned, replaying the past weeks rapidly inside my mind. Then it hit me. "Nara?" I asked, dumfounded. "Nara Shikamaru?"

"Well, he knew how to keep a low profile, without getting sacked, so I figured he was adequate. I was told you let him play with the company's finance. He sounded thrilled when he told me."

"As thrilled as Shika can sound," Naruto added with a shrug. "He was just happy to work with Yamanaka."

The girl came into view as the blond pronounced her name, standing beside Sakura and Neji, pale but apparently unharmed.

"The place is secured," the Hyuuga told Kakashi. "The ladies are safe, and we've got no deaths to repo-" He stopped in mid-sentence as he noticed Itachi, immediately raising his gun in my brother's direction.

"Neji, put that thing down," I ordered. "It's fine."

He obeyed unwillingly. "Are you certain, sir?" he asked between gritted teeth.

"I'm glad to see you remain loyal to the Uchiha clan," Itachi said. "Hyuuga Neji, right? I was told you did an honorable job."

"You're no longer an Uchiha to me, Itachi," the younger man growled. "You've done too much damage to your clan to claim its name."

"And I won't," was the steady reply. "We agree on that matter, at least." Turning towards the white-haired detective, Itachi added, "Would you mind if I stayed at your place? Until I reinsert myself on the legal side of society, in the least."

Kakashi's answer escaped me; my attention was suddenly focused on the blond, whose clutch had suddenly tightened. "Those two already live together," he accused sternly. "I'd bet my iphone on that."

"Naruto, my brother's private life isn't yet my concern," I growled. "As happy as I am to see him again, I'd like it to remain that way."

He laughed. A small sound into the night, his blue eyes shinning as we walked away from our past.

End

**So...How was that? Too quick in the end? Too blurry (hope not)? Re-reading this, I hear Sasuke speak with a British accent. Really, how weird is that? So, again, sorry for making you guys wait, and reviews are greatly appreciated. Please?**


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